New boys help Wakefield Trinity to second pre-season win in Reece Lyne testimonial

Long serving centre Lyne marked his big day with a try and it was an all-round worthwhile exercise for a Trinity team that included several new faces.

Head coach Mark Applegarth handed debuts to Kevin Proctor and Samisoni Langi while recent recruits Renouf Atoni and Morgan Smith continued to look to be good acquisitions after following on the positive impression both created in the Boxing Day friendly with Leeds Rhinos.

Wakefield’s good start brought them the opening try on eight minutes when Lee Gaskell sent Jay Pitts over and Mason Lino added the conversion.

It took them a while to emphasise their superiority, but on the half-hour there was the biggest cheer of the day as Lyne got his try courtesy of winger Tom Lineham. Lino again converted to make it 12-0.

Eddie Battye then crashed over for another try and with Lino goaling it was 18-0 at half-time.

Wakefield Trinity boss Mark Applegarth impressed by new boy Morgan Smith's utility value

Halifax improved after the break and scored their first points when Louis Jouffret scooped up a loose ball to race away from halfway to touch down

Many of Trinity’s back up players were now on the pitch and one of them, Smith, came on to play a key part in the game from the half-back position, catching the eye with a brace of tries.

The former Featherstone Rovers playmaker backed up his own high kick to take an offload from Lee Kershaw and score his first try then backed up a great break by fellow half-back Lino to make it a double.

Lino converted the second after hitting the post with the first and Wakefield were home and hosed for victory.

The Panthers were rewarded for their efforts as they scored two late tries through Tom Inman and Lachlan Walmsley, with Jouffret converting both.

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt; Lineham, Lyne, Langi, Taufua; Gaskell, Lino; Whitbread, Hood, Atoni, Ashurst, Pitts, Proctor. Subs (all used): Murphy, Battye, Smith, Kershaw, Kay, Butler, Butterworth, Pratt, Bowes, Eseh, Law, Windrow, Schofield.

Halifax Panthers: Woodburn-Hall; Rawsthorne, Tibbs, McComb, Saltonstall; Jouffret, Keyes; Maher, Moore, Murray, Kavanagh, Gee, Tangata. Subs (all used): Walmsley, Fairbank, Wood, Calcott, King, Inman, Doro, Maizen, Oakley, Forster, Morgan, Larroyer.